Side impact events involving automotive vehicles typically include the imposition of dynamic loading to the vehicle and to the vehicle occupants. The side impact event imposes severe loading on the structural members of the body. The side impact event also may result in displacement of the thoracic region of an occupant, including the thoracic vertebrae and the associated ribs. During a side impact event there is a need to be at or below a stipulated thorax displacement for a given a load.
Vehicle doors are typically constructed with two or more panels attached to the door frame, an exterior or outer panel for shielding the passenger compartment from the elements, and an inner door panel that provides structural support. A trim panel is usually fastened to the inner door panel facing the passenger compartment and shields the vehicle occupants from internal door components, such as the window, the window regulator and the door locks. The trim panel can also provide aesthetic qualities to the interior passenger compartment as well as ergonomic features, for example, easily accessible door handles, mirror and window controls, and the like. Adjacent the trim panel is the vehicle door shut face. When the vehicle door is in its closed position, the shut face is not visible.
Because it is known that vehicles may collide with obstacles during operation efforts have been made with varying degrees of success to reduce the displacement of the thoracic region of the occupant. Automotive vehicles have been provided with various structural upgrades and restraint systems to lessen the effects of a collision type impact on an occupant compartment of the vehicle. Particularly, to lessen the effects of a side collision type impact of the vehicle occupant seating area, some vehicle door constructions may include a door intrusion guard beam, side bolsters of foam or honeycomb construction, or other body side structural upgrades. While such structural upgrades provide certain advantages, they are often relatively expensive and weighty. In addition, many of the known designs are effective in the instance of lateral intrusion but are not as effective in the instance of longitudinal intrusion.
Accordingly, as in so many areas of vehicle technology, there is room in the art of vehicle door design for an alternative configuration to known door structures which provides effective protection and minimal displacement of an occupant's thoracic region while maintaining relatively low manufacturing and assembly costs.